Page 271 - Environment
City's air quality 'severe' on New Year's Day
The city's air quality index became 'severe' on the New Year's Day morning, 10 hours after the state pollution control board's computerised monitors showed it to be 'very poor' at midnight. A West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) official Tuesday said one of the key factors for the change in pollution level within 10 hours is bursting of firecrackers to celebrate the new year. At midnight when the celebrations began, the air quality index (AQI) read 374 PM 2.5 at the air monitoring station of WBPCB at Rabindra Bharati University, one of the two automated air monitoring stations of WBPCB in the city, a WBPCB official said Tuesday. The AQI at the university read 400 PM 2.5 at 10 AM Tuesday and remained the same at 11 AM, the official said. The AQI is an indicator of air pollution caused by three pollutants - NO2, PM 10 and PM 2.5. The index indicates air quality as 'good' for values of 0-100, 'moderate' for 101 -200 and 'poor' for 201-300. Particles less than 2.5 PM .
NASA spacecraft flies past most distant cosmic object ever explored
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft ushered in the New Year with a historic flyby of Ultima Thule -- the most distant object ever visited by a space probe -- gathering data that may unveil new insights into the formative years of our solar system. According to mission details published by NASA, New Horizons was scheduled to complete the flyby at around 11 am IST Tuesday. However, the official confirmation is still awaited, as it will take hours for the spacecraft to communicate with Earth and beam back the first images of the unexplored object. Ultima Thule -- which means "beyond the known world" -- is located in the Kuiper belt in the outermost regions of the solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Ultima Thule at a distance of 3,500 km. At the time, Ultima Thule was at a distance of almost 6.5 billion kilometres from the Sun, making this the most distant planetary flyby attempted, and the first time that a Solar System object of this type has been ..
NASA spacecraft's first orbit around asteroid Bennu breaks record
Breaking a space exploration record on New Year's Eve, NASA's first asteroid-sampling mission, OSIRIS-REx, entered into orbit around the Bennu, making it the smallest object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft.
Why ethanol is not a suitable fuel for automobiles (Comment)
The Indian government is accelerating its programme of blending ethanol with petrol for two reasons: Our petroleum import bill is continuously increasing (we import more than 85 per cent of all our requirements) and two, we have surplus of sugar in India, which has no takers in the export market.
Cold New Year morning in Delhi; air quality 'severe'
The residents of national capital on Tuesday -- the first day of 2019 -- woke up to a cold morning as the mercury touched 4 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, the Met Office said.
Sudarsan Pattnaik spreads green message through New Year special sand art
International sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a special sand art on New Year's Eve to welcome the year 2019 by spreading a social message.His distinctive sand creation for the occasion focuses on spreading the message of tree plantation.Talking about the theme of his new year special sculpture, Pattnaik said, "We have created a special sand sculpture to wish everyone a happy new year. We want to give a green message to everyone and hence have given green effects in the sculpture. We appeal everyone to plant a maximum number of trees to save the environment."He has also made a sculpture of Lord Jagannath at the beach.A large number of tourists and pilgrims throng to the city to have some leisure time at its pristine beaches as well as to start their new year with the blessing of Lord Jagannath.
Telangana tops in GSDP with revenue growth of 29.97% for FY 2018-19: KCR
Telangana is a role model for the cause of farmers and it is at the top in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the country with revenue growth of 29.97 per cent for the financial year 2018-19, said the state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Monday here, adding that state government would spend Rs 10 lakh crore in the agriculture sector.Conducting a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on various aspects of the food processing industry, KCR stated: "Telangana is a role model for the cause of farmers and it should be at the top among other states in the country and it is at the top in GSDP in the country with revenue growth of 29.97 per cent for the financial year 2018-19 ."Stressing that there is a need for effecting change in certain traditional habits of farmers, KCR said, "There is a need to overcome the difficulties arising out of non-availability of appropriate statistical data pertaining to food and agriculture sectors, and greater results could be achieved .
Mumbai police crack whip on drunk driving on New Year eve
Traffic police in Mumbai have registered 44 cases of drunk driving till 8 PM Monday on the New year Eve. A large number of police personnel are manning various parts of the megapolis to ensure smooth conduct of celebrations to ring in 2019, and to prevent rash driving. "Police have caught at least 1205 drivers of cars and two-wheelers till 8 PM since morning," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amitesh Kumar. Among them, 44 drivers were found drunk through breath analysers, he said. Action like imposition of fine and compounding of driving licenses has been taken against them, he said. Anti-drunk driving drive will continue till January 1 morning and stringent action will be taken against violators, the JCP said. He said traffic restrictions were put in place in the island city and suburbs by traffic police. Police have closed the access to north-bound NS Road at famous Marine Drive for vehicular traffic, he said. Those taking the NS Road and adjoining areas ...
Telangana action plan to promote food processing
The Telangana government Monday decided to prepare an action plan to promote food processing in the state in a big way. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a meeting with officials on food processing, said appropriate statistical data pertaining to food and agriculture sector was not available which needs to be dealt with, a release from his office said. "In the backdrop of the discussion held in the review meeting, it is decided to prepare an action plan on food processing. The CM described it as a beginning of revolution in food processing and let us make it a success," a release from the CM's office said. Rao felt that there was a need to effect a change in certain traditional habits of farmers and study the advantages and disadvantages of every farmer preferring same crop (in a particular geography), it said. He said greater results could be achieved if the farmer was brought into the organised sector. "The state need to be divided into crop colonies; the ..
577 districts declared open defecation free: Min
As many as 577 districts across the country have been declared open defecation free (ODF), the Rajya Sabha was told. Out of the 577 districts, 56 districts in Uttar Pradesh were declared ODF followed by 51 in Madhya Pradesh, said Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi. According to guidelines of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), ODF is the termination of faecal-oral transmission, defined by, no visible faeces found in the environment/village, and every household as well as public/community institution(s) using safe technology option for disposal of faeces. Villages and districts declare themselves open defecation free through a rigorous process of self-declaration, followed by a multi-level decentralised verification process. A district is declared ODF when all the villages of the district have been declared ODF, the minister told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He further said the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation had conducted ...
100% household electrification to be achieved ahead of Republic Day: Official
The government is likely to achieve its 100 per cent household electrification target in the country ahead of Republic Day as it has already energised 2.39 crore out of the targeted 2.49 crore households under Rs 16,320 crore Saubhagya scheme, an official said Monday. "The 100 per cent household electrification under 'Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana' (Saubhagya) would be achieved ahead of Republic day (January 26, 2019). The government has energised 2.39 crore households under the scheme till today," the official said. However, the state power ministers meet chaired by Power Minister R K Singh in Shimla in July, 2018, had resolved to complete the task of energising all households in the country by December 31, 2018, against the deadline of March 31, 2019. The official said the work was delayed in some states due to elections and maoist problems, while there were some contractual issues as well in few states. A power ministry statement said India has achieved yet another ...
Goa Church-backed NGO opposes new CRZ 2018 notification
Describing the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests's latest CRZ 2018 notification as a "death knell to the coastal communities", a Goa Church-backed NGO on Monday demanded its withdrawal.
Responses to National Forest Policy seek balance between conservation and development: Minister
Responses received to the Draft National Forest Policy, 2018 include those seeking a balance between conservation and the country's development and those highlighting an inadequate focus in the document on the provisions of the Forest Rights Act and their implementation, the government said on Monday. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had prepared the Draft National Forest Policy, 2018 and placed it in the public domain for comments. Suggestions were received from various stakeholders, including major ministries, private sector, NGOs, civil society and experts, Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. "The responses received from these stakeholders were mostly related to an inadequate focus in the draft policy on the provisions of the Forest Rights Act and their implementation, the role of the Gram Sabha, concerns on PPP (public-private partnership) in afforestation of degraded forests, seeking a ...
Man held for killing, eating protected monkey species
A man who had boasted of killing and eating a rhesus macaque monkey, a protected species, on social media, was arrested in Meghalaya, police said Monday. The man was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Rhesus macaques, protected under the same Act, are familiar brown primates with red faces and rears. They have close-cropped hair on their heads and their natural range includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China. The accused was arrested from West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya after the state forest department lodged an FIR, Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar told PTI. After the man allegedly killed, burnt, and cooked the monkey, he posted photographs of it on social media from where PETA India came to know about it and urged the authorities to arrest him. A PETA India statement released in Guwahati said following its request, the deputy commissioner ordered the SP and the divisional forest officer of West Garo Hills to form a joint ..
Himachal CM favours controlled forest thinning
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said the state will ensure scientific management of forests to increase forest cover.
Fishing harbours, beaches near fishing villages see 'high' beach litter: Govt
Most of the fishing harbours and beaches adjacent to fishing villages have occurrence of "high" beach litter, the government said Monday. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said plastic litter from tourism accounted for 40 per cent at Elliot's Beach in Chennai and 96 per cent at Gopalpur Beach in Odisha. He said in recent years, plastic pollution has been identified as a key component of marine debris in beaches all over the world. Among different coastal segments studied, beach pollution was observed to be high at places that were in close proximity to the river mouths. The beaches adjacent to rivers exhibit relatively higher beach debris compared to those influenced by tourism and fishing activities, the minister said. "According to the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), studies on qualitative analysis of litter on different beaches along the east and west coast of India shows that plastic litter from tourism accounted for 40
Lok Sabha passes Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19
The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 for gross additional expenditure of Rs 85,948.86 crore, which includes Rs 41,000 crore for recap of the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid din.
'Take up massive drive to improve greenery in HMDA limits'
: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Monday asked officials to take up a massive drive to improve greenery in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits. Rao held a meeting with HMDA Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy and other officials on promoting greenery in the areas under HMDA. The Chief Minister suggested that the HMDA authorities come out with a plan and a plan of action for developing greenery in HMDA area, a release from his office said. Hyderabad should not become a concrete jungle like some other Indian cities and citizens should benefit from a massive plantation campaign, Rao said, adding lung space should be created as much as possible in HMDA areas. Rao also told the HMDA Commissioner to form walkers' clubs and hand them over to walkers for maintenance. He emphasised the need to rejuvenate erstwhile forest areas near the city, the release said. Rao wanted an integrated approach in collaboration with the forest department to be ...
NASA's New Horizons gets ready for Ultima Thule flyby on Tuesday
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is inching closer to creating history once again as it approaches for a close encounter of the ancient Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69 - nicknamed Ultima Thule - on New Year's Day.
Tigress found dead in Umred Karhandla Sanctuary, 2nd in 2 days
The carcass of a tigress was found in the early hours Monday in Umred Pauni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, over 60 kilometres from here, a senior Forest department official said. This is the second incident in as many days in the sanctuary, the official informed. Field Director of Pench-Tadoba Reserve Ravikiran Govekar stated that the body of the tigress was found early Monday morning during a field search operation by forest staff in the Paoni wildlife range of the Umred Pauni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary. He said the tigress' body was found close to the site where the carcass of a tiger was found on Sunday. "The tigress found on Monday was T4. The one found on Sunday was T16. The death of both the big cats might have taken place around the same time. A semi-eaten body of a pig was also found nearby," the official said. More details would emerge after the standard operating procedure (SOP) laid down for such cases by the National Tiger